Tuesday, November 18, 2008
BlackBarry losing his BlackBerry
by Anonymous at 9:17 AM
For security concerns, Barack Obama may have to give up his BlackBerry. From the NYT:
For years, like legions of other professionals, Mr. Obama has been all but addicted to his BlackBerry. The device has rarely been far from his side to provide a singular conduit to the outside world as the bubble around him grew tighter and tighter throughout his campaign. But before he arrives at the White House, he will probably be forced to sign off. In addition to concerns about e-mail security, he faces the Presidential Records Act, which puts his correspondence in the official record and ultimately up for public review, and the threat of subpoenas. A decision has not been made on whether he could become the first e-mailing president, but aides said that seemed doubtful.....aides said he hopes to have a laptop computer on his desk in the Oval Office, making him the first American president to do so.
The first e-mailing President? A laptop computer? He's so techy. What next, a VCR?
I completely agree that he should be able to keep his BlackBerry. Being in the presidential bubble is one of the pitfalls of the office. There's a way for him to view-only or respond only in routine fashion that can keep Obama out of legal or security risks by using a BlackBerry. If you're wondering how President-elect Obama will deal with the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms from his CrackBerry addiction, my tongue-in-cheek letter to President-elect Obama has some answers on how he can cope: http://www.justmypointofview.wordpress.com. Welcome your feedback and comments.